


Voices in your head

by barlowbarlow



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Telepathic Bond, Telepathy, boyf riends - Freeform, richjake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-22 19:39:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14315760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barlowbarlow/pseuds/barlowbarlow
Summary: "Go to bed, dipshit.""Dude. I didn't say anything." Jake's voice called from the top bunk, heavy with sleep, and Jeremy clapped a hand over his mouth."Sorry! I didn't mean to say that out loud." Jeremy said, cursing himself internally. He needed to work on that."Talking to our soulmate again, are we?" Jake said, leaning over the edge of the bed to look down at Jeremy and wiggle his eyebrows. Jeremy groaned, burying his face in his pillow.(In other words- Jeremy has a soulmate that he's been talking to for two weeks. Well, talking to in his head. Everyone has a soulmate, even his roommate Jake, and he's gotta figure out how he's going to survive until he actually meets his.)





	1. Dipshit

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! I never write things like this but I really hope you enjoy it!!! Basically, Jeremy and Jake are roommates and close friends in college. Michael and Rich are also roommates and close friends, also in college. You can probably see where this is going. In this world, you can communicate with your soulmate telepathically, but they can't tell you their actual name or their location or anything, because that would be too easy. Lucky for Jeremy and Michael, the universe does have a weird way of bringing soulmates together and the two end up being closer than they realized.  
> I'm so cheesy, oh my god. Enjoy!!  
> xxx

"Go to bed, dipshit."

"Dude. I didn't say anything." Jake's voice called from the top bunk, heavy with sleep, and Jeremy clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to say that out loud." Jeremy said, cursing himself internally. He needed to work on that.

"Talking to our soulmate again, are we?" Jake said, leaning over the edge of the bed to look down at Jeremy and wiggle his eyebrows. Jeremy groaned, burying his face in his pillow, his cheeks heating up. He hated how easily it was for someone to do that, and how obvious it was when he blushed. Jake chuckled, rolling back into his bed. There was a moment of quiet and Jeremy was preparing to start up the conversation in his head again when Jake spoke in a hushed voice. It wasn't like something Jeremy and really heard from him before.

"I want a soulmate."

Jeremy didn't know how to reply.

"Um... I'm sure you have one, dude. They just haven't been able to, like, talk to you yet. It happens at different times for everyone." He said, and he cringed a little at his own words. He sounded like his dad. Jake sighed above him. "I know, I know. It's just... I want it to happen faster. I don't even need to _meet_ them anytime soon, I just want to hear their voice, know they exist..... What if I don't have one?" Jake sounded small, and again Jeremy had no fucking clue how to respond. This was a side of Jake he'd never seen before and they'd been best friends for almost four years at this point.

"Um, you definitely have one. No one's ever _not_ had one." Jeremy said, hoping this might help Jake. He had no clue what he was doing- comforting people wasn't his strong suit, and he'd proved it on too many occasions. "And you're a great guy. You've gotta have someone."

"Thanks, Jeremy, but being nice isn't gonna help me. I don't know. I just want to find mine soon, while I'm still young.... And horny." Jake added the horny part as an afterthought, but it still made Jeremy snort. "You'll find them soon, Jake. I promise. Now please can we go to sleep?"

Truthfully, Jeremy wasn't tired. He felt a little guilty, but he really wanted to get back to talking to M. (M was what he called his soulmate because he wasn't allowed to know his name until they met. Stupid fucking universe rules.) He'd only started hearing his voice two weeks ago, and talking to him still made Jeremy's heart beat just a little harder each time.

He barely heard Jake mutter "Yeah" from above him before he shut his eyes and concentrated.

_Hey. Sorry. My roommate was having a soulmate crisis, he thinks he doesn't have one. I had to talk him through it. I'm shit at feelings._

**_It's all good. That's funny, though, because my roommate was sorta having one today too._ **

_Weird. But cool. I thought your roommate was like... some super macho tough guy for some reason._

**_Nah, he wants to be, but he's a big softie. And he's like four feet tall. I haven't told anyone this, but we have a looot of late night conversations. I've known him for, like, a year, but he's already told me literally all of his secrets._ **

_Aww. That's fun. I would say annoying, but you never fucking sleep anyway, so...._

**_I don't need to sleep!_ **

_Everyone needs to sleep!_

**_I only got three hours last night and I'm thriving!_ **

_If by thriving you mean falling up the stairs today and spilling your coffee on someone, then sure._

**_Ughh I never should have told you about that._ **

Jeremy held in a chuckle at that, burying his face farther in his pillow.

_Yeah. Rookie mistake, dude._

He cringed a little at the word _dude_. It felt weird. He hadn't quite crossed into flirting territory with M yet. It wasn't that he didn't want to- he really, really wanted to. But he didn't want to mess up whatever they had going, and he was a little worried that M wanted to be, like, a platonic soulmate. Those existed. And as much as Jeremy loved being friends with M, he really wanted something more. He hadn't even seen this boy's face yet, and he was pretty much hopelessly falling for him. He was so.... well, he was a complete fucking geek. Which was perfect and adorable and Jesus Christ, Jeremy couldn't handle it. And his voice. Jeremy could listen to it forever. It was impossible to describe, but sometime when he was angry it got all deep and that was enough for Jeremy to get hot and restless...

**_You okay?_ **

_Yeah. Sorry. Just thinking for a second._

**_What were you thinking about?_ **

Jeremy paused to consider. The idea of telling M what he was _really_ thinking was thrilling, but no. What they had might be fragile and Jeremy didn't want to be the one to ruin it.

_I dunno. Weird stuff. Like the future and shit._

**_Cool, cool. I think about weird shit before I sleep and sometimes that's why I don't sleep._ **

_Do you ever have nightmares? That's the only reason that I ever don't sleep. Except for these past two weeks. That's your fault._

**_Awww babe, you stay up for me?_ **

**_Kidding, kidding, that's actually really sweet. In all seriousness... I do have nightmares, but very rarely and never too scary. What are yours about? It sounds like you have them a lot._ **

Jeremy felt the heat returning to his cheeks. M's flirting was fake, but it made him feel things anyway. A lot of things.

_I dunno... weird stuff, I used to have an abusive step dad, so he comes up a lot._

**_Oh. Shit, I'm sorry about that. I mean I know sorry isn't, like, a good way to put it but I just.... I don't like that people.... hurt you._ **

Jeremy's heart skipped a beat, there was something about he way M had said(Thought? he still wasn't sure what terms to use for soulmate communication)  that and it made him feel like his brain was mush.

_Thanks. Don't worry, though, things have gotten much better since I started college. I usually stay at my real dad's house when I go home._

**_That's good._ **

There was a moment of silence.

**_Hey, uh, this might sound crazy....._ **

There was another moment of quiet.

_You can say it, M. Or like... think it. I promise you're not crazy._

Another silence. Jeremy held his breath.

**_Ok. Thanks. I just.... You're one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I don't know how to explain it other than that- I mean, you're just... Perfect. And you're funny and sarcastic and your voice is cute. I'm probably coming off too strong but, like.... I can't wait to meet you._ **

Jeremy wasn't sure what he'd been expecting but that surely wasn't it. His heart soared and his mind was reeling. 'Cute. He thinks my voice is cute. And he wants to meet me.' Jeremy thought to himself, and he was smiling into his pillow again.

**_I'm sorry- that was too much too fast we can just pretend that-_ **

_No!! No. Sorry. I'm so- ugh. I'm so awkward. No. I really agree with you- I mean not about me being perfect or cute or like- you know... I just- You're one of my best things too. And you're not coming off too strong, I'm even more excited. I'm just shit at showing it._

There was another moment of quiet, and Jeremy clutched his pillow to his chest. They'd crossed that flirting line, he could feel it. He kept thinking ' _he thinks my voice is cute he thinks my voice is cute he thinks my voice-_ '

**_You realize you're telling me that, right?_ **

Shit. Jeremy had _not_ realized that. He didn't have much of a grip on himself right now and he'd accidentally told M all of that. His face went red and he squeezed at the pillow again, mortified.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. I'm sorry. You probably think I'm really weird. That was an accident._

**_No, it's fine. I'm actually glad you told me. Now I know your weakness, I can call you cute all the time. And I already think your weird. It's adorable._ **

_Ugh. Nooooo. I'm so dumb. Fuck me._

Despite his protests, Jeremy was grinning, and he was sure M could tell by his tone.

**_I'd love to, believe me, but we should probably meet first._ **

Jeremy blushed more, choking on air. Ok. Wow. Again, he was joking, but the effect on Jeremy was extreme.

_Oh my god, I can't believe you._

**_Well you better start believing me, you're stuck with me for the rest of your life._ **

_Shit, I guess you're right! That means I'll have loads of time to talk to you when I'm not supposed to be asleep. Goodnight!_

**_C'mon! It's only twelve thirty!_ **

_Only? I'm worried about your health._

_Really, though. Thank you so much. I can't wait... I can't wait to meet you. And hold your hand._

_Night, M._

M seemed to be temporarily shut up. Jeremy panicked for a minute. Too much?

**_Same here. G'night, J._ **

Jeremy sat back in bed, finally exhaling, his heart pounding hard. He grinned like an idiot again, running a hand through his sweaty hair. He hadn't believed it was possible to fall for someone that he hadn't even met, but here he was, blushing and giggling about some boy he didn't know the name of.

He clutched his pillow to his chest, and he would never admit it, but he fell asleep pretending it was his soulmate.

  



	2. Window boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich makes a discovery, Michael learns more about his soulmate. It's a little sad.

"Rich? You okay?"

Michael asked, his voice laced with concern. He was watching his roommates face, where a look of awe has passed before. Now his eyes were screwed shut. And all of this had played out with his pants around his ankles- they were getting ready for the day.

"Shh!" Rich hissed.

"Okay! I was just wondering." Michael mumbled, raising his hands in surrender. If Rich didn't want his help then he wouldn't get it. He didn't have it in him to worry about what was happening, maybe it was a migraine. He grumbled as he reached for his toothbrush.

"DUDE, HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!" Rich burst through the door, causing Michael to nearly choke on toothpaste. He spit in the sink, glaring down at Rich and adjusting his glasses. He was not a morning person, and his roommate's unusual behavior was getting on his nerves. Before he had a chance to say anything, Rich grabbed his shoulders and looked at him with wide eyes, trying to convey something extreme- he seemed to be lost for words. He was grinning like he'd won the lottery.

Michael didn't get it.

"Mike! I- I have one!"

"One what?"

"Fuck! Isn't it obvious? I HAVE A SOULMATE!"

Michael suddenly understood. His heart soared. _Holy shit._ He grabbed Rich's arms.

"Rich! Oh my god! That's amazing!"

Rich nodded furiously, his eyes bright. Michael had never seen him like this before.

"Who- wh- what're they like? What did they say? What kind of voice-" He grilled, his heart racing for his best friend. Rich hugged him tightly out of sheer joy, and Michael couldn't help but hug back.

They pulled away. "It's a boy! He's got _such_ a nice voice, it's like- ugh. And the first thing he said was just some mumbling about smelling like coffee, it was hilarious. He said we're gonna talk a bunch tonight! Oh my god, he's amazing." Rich's voice was mix of adrenaline and dreaminess. They were still grabbing each other's arms tightly.

"That great! Does that mean we're on the same time zone as him? Oh my god! I've gotta tell J." Michael glanced down at his watch and jumped. Had it really been that long? "Shit, man, I've gotta get ready, I have an 8:30 class. Talk to him, ok? And tell me everything."

Michael did plan on telling J, his own soulmate, all about it that night. That's why he was so excited when he finally reached his dorm room at the end of the day. (To talk to a soulmate telepathically, you have to be concentrated and in a quiet place, especially when you first start.)

He'd been looking forward to talking to Rich, too, so he was smiling so wide when he walked in. His smile dropped seconds later, though, because something was off. Really off. Rich was in bed, which wouldn't have been too different. But he was rolled over with the comforter around him, his face hidden. Worry pooled in Michael's stomach. He dropped his bags and crossed the room to Rich's bed, tapping him on the shoulder. Rich flinched and sprung up, looking panicked. When he saw that it was just Michael, he sighed in relief. But he didn't look good. Michael immediately noticed puffiness in his eyes, like he'd been crying a lot. And he looked exhausted.

"Hey, Mikey boy. How was your day?" He said, smiling weakly. Michael frowned, sitting on the end of Rich's bed and ignoring his question. "What's wrong?" He asked, and Rich cast his eyes down. Michael could read him like a book and there was no use hiding things from him.

"Well, uh, I started telling people about my soulmate, right? He's so cool, by the way. Anyway, I told you and Chloe and then... I, uh... I called my parents." Michael's heart dropped, he could guess where this might be going. "Yeah, th-they weren't so happy to hear that it was a boy. I mean, they didn't, like, disown me or anything, but..." His voice trailed off and his eyes got all shiny again. Michael bit his lip- this was something he'd been afraid of. He wrapped his arms around Rich quickly and tightly, pulling back to scan his face again.

"Have you talked to him about it yet? Your soulmate, I mean." Rich didn't answer, looking down. Ok, so he hadn't. Michael nodded in understanding. "I know it probably doesn't sound like something you wanna do, but trust me, it'll make you feel better. He'll understand." Michael said gently. Rich nodded and flopped back down on the bed, closing his eyes to concentrate. Michael sat there for a minute more before he sighed and stood up, walking to the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and was halfway through washing his hands when he heard a voice in his head that made his heart jump.

_How are you?_

**_I've been better. What about you? I've gotta tell you what happened today._ **

_Oh, I'm pretty good. And same! I've been waiting to tell you since this morning! But first... Is everything ok? You sound kinda... stressed._

**_Oh... uh, yeah. That goes along with what I wanted to tell you. My roommate-_ **

_The four foot tall macho guy?_

**_-Yeah, him. He found out that he had a soulmate this morning! It was so exciting! And we're both really happy. But his soulmate is a boy, and his parents aren't very excited about it...._ **

_No fucking way!! That's what I was gonna tell you!_

**_What?_ **

_My roommate got his soulmate today too!! He woke me up this morning to tell me. What the fuck? That's crazy._

_I'm sorry to hear about his parents, though. Hopefully they'll come around?_

Michael's heart was beating fast. he didn't want to get his hopes up, but...

**_What's the likelihood that they're soulmates? Our roommates, I mean._ **

_I dunno, M. Pretty slim chance, but it'd be fucking cool._

_Let's not get too excited. Do you know what the guy first said to your roommate?_

**_Something about.... Smelling like coffee?_ **

_Oh. Sorry. My roommate hates coffee._

Michael sighed.

**_I guess you're right._ **

It was quiet for another few minutes, so Michael finished washing his hands and went to make himself some instant Mac n cheese. He was in a weird mood. It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't great, he couldn't have put it into words. He glanced over at Rich again, his eyes were screwed shut in concentration, but there a grin tugging at his lips. Michael smiled to himself and made a bowl for Rich too.

He didn't want to interrupt his roommate's little soulmate thing, so he just placed the steaming bowl on the end of his bed before walking to his desk. He sighed again and pulled out his laptop-he didn't want to, but he had a paper to work on.

It was at least half an hour later when he heard from J again, and his Mac n cheese was long gone.

_Hey._

**_Hey. What_** **_are you up to?_**

_Nothing really. I need to shower, but getting up is so much work, ugh._

**_How far is your bathroom from your bed again?_ **

_.......like ten feet._

**_Wow. Every day you get lazier._ **

_How do you know I'm not buff as fuck?_

**_You told me that you spent all of high school glued to a beanbag._ **

_You've got me there. But I am tall!_

**_Sure. What does that have to do with buffness? I bet you're not even that tall._ **

Michael smiled to himself, his laptop abandoned. J was always more important. And also fun to tease, because even in his thoughts he could hear how flustered he got.

_Do you think you're taller than me?_

**_Probably._ **

Michael wasn't too tall, and he knew it. He just wanted to see what would happen.

_How tall are you?_

**_Five foot ten._ **

_Ha! I'm six two._

Michael couldn't explain it, but he suddenly felt really warm, especially in his face. The thought of J, whatever he looked like, standing in front of him, looking down at him.... He gulped. His heart was suddenly racing.

_What's the matter? Lost for words at my godlike height?_

**_N- no! Fuck you! Six two isn't even that tall._ **

_It's taller than you, though, and that's what matters._

Michael couldn't stop smiling. It'd been over two weeks and he still did this every time they spoke.

**_Don't get all confident now, J. I still have the upper hand._ **

_Do you now?_

**_I can call your voice cute like last night! 'He thinks my voice is cute! He thinks my-'_ **

_You- I- St-Stop!_

There was a brief moment of silence that Michael hoped was J being a dork and getting too overwhelmed to respond. That had happened a couple times- any time Michael fake flirted, or last night when he really flirted, the voice in his head went quiet for a second. It made his chest swell with pride and amusement. And with adoration for how fucking adorable his soulmate was.

**_Who's lost for words again?_ **

_It's- sh-shut up. It's your fault._

**_I know. That's what's so fun. It's adorable when you mind-stutter._ **

_Ughhh._

Michael chuckled, shutting his laptop. He wasn't really working on they paper anyway. He placed the Mac n cheese bowl on his desk and crawled into bed.

**_So are you ever gonna actually shower?_ **

_No, I'm just gonna be smelly forever. I'm never going to shower again._

Michael rolled his eyes with a snort. J was the most sarcastic person he'd ever met. Well, never met. But he wanted to.

_Kidding, I'm gonna go shower now._

**_Glad I could motivate you, I dunno what I'd do if I was stuck with a stinky soulmate._ **

There was another moment of quiet, Michael assumed it was just J taking off his clothes. They'd talked in the shower before- it was a good place to talk because there were no interruptions. But suddenly things weren't ok, because he was imagining J in the shower. Again, he had no clue what he looked like, but he now knew he was tall. He got that warm feeling again.

_There. I'm in the shower now. Happy?_

Michael physically shook his head to get those thoughts out. It didn't work

**_Very._ **

J chuckled in his head, and this time he could hear it. They were getting better at this whole telepathy thing.

"Michael, you were right."

Michael was pulled out of his head by Rich, who was now sitting up with a big smile, holding the Mac n cheese. There was still puffiness in his face, but the brightness from that morning was back in his eyes. "Talking to him made everything better. He is so fucking cool, Michael! Oh my god. OH my god. And his name starts with a J, like yours! I can't wait to meet him."

Michael grinned at him.

"Me neither."

When he talked to J again that night, it was late- almost one am.

_You awake?_

**_No._ **

_Hi._

**_Hey._ **

_I'm sorry if I woke you up._

**_Nah, you're good. Everything alright?_ **

It was quiet for a second. Michael frowned, rubbing his eyes.

**_J?_ **

_Yeah._

**_What's wrong?_ **

_Uh.... It's dumb. Nightmare._

**_That's not dumb. Do you wanna talk about it?_ **

_Not really. It was just, like... my stepdad. He was hitting me. In the dream._

J's voice broke a little, and it went quiet. Michael felt a little pain in his chest at that.

**_Oh, J. That sucks. I'm sorry. He can't hurt you though. Not anymore._ **

_Yeah..... I know. It just feels.... Real._

**_I get it. I'll protect you, yeah? I'm not there, but one day I will be._ **

Michael would've given anything to be there then. He hated hearing J sound so small and scared- it wasn't like him. At all. And Michael wasn't usually all soft like this, but he didn't mind.

_Okay. Yeah. That's good._

**_Do you think you'll be able to sleep?_ **

_I'll try._

**_Okay. Good. You can wake me up again if you need to._ **

_Thanks. Sorry._

**_Don't apologize._ **

_Uh- oh- okay. Night, M. You're the best._

**_Thanks. You too._ **

**_Goodnight._ **

Michael exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face. _'You too?'_ He wanted to slap himself. He knew he had no way to do anything, but he couldn't stop thinking about J. His heart was hammering, despite the fact that he had been fast asleep minutes earlier.

He eventually sighed, reached for his glasses, and rolled out of bed. He knew by now that he wouldn't be falling back asleep for a while. He stood in the middle of the room for a moment, glancing at his snoring roommate, before he walked over to the window. Fresh air would be nice.

Michael struggled to pry it open, but as soon as he did he exhaled in relief. Cool air breezed past his face and he leaned out, inhaling deeply. It felt heavenly. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he squinted at the other dorm building twenty feet away. There was someone else leaning out their window. He leaned out further and made out the details. It was a boy, muscular and brown haired, staring right back at him. He looked familiar for some reason. He waved and smiled. The boy waved back.

"Can't sleep?" he whisper-shouted across the gap, hoping to be loud enough without waking up Rich. The boy shook his head. Michael smile sympathetically in way that said _me neither._

They both stayed there for a while, staring up at the sky in a state of peacefulness. It was actually pretty nice, feeling like you had another person who understood, even if they didn't know him at all. After a while, the boy seemed to hear something in his room, maybe his roommate, and he waved goodbye before he turned back inside. Soon after, Michael did too, shutting the window gently behind him. He was beginning to get chilly.

He grabbed some water and returned to his bed, dropping his glasses on his desk. He was about to drift back asleep when his eyes snapped open with realization. He knew why the boy in the window seemed familiar- it was the boy he'd spilled coffee on the other day. He wanted to smack himself again. That was embarrassing. He wondered if the window boy recognized him.

He finally drifted off to sleep around two thirty am, wind still slipping through a crack in the windowsill. He didn't know how much that window boy- or more specifically, that window boy's roommate, would mean to him in just a few days.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys so this is not my favorite but I hope you enjoyed!! Thank you so much for all the lovely comments.


	3. Frat parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake convinces Jeremy to go a frat party with him. Jeremy doesn't realize how many beers he's had until its too late. Luckily, he's got a friend to help him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a TW, theres vomiting in this. I hope you enjoy! There will probably be two more chapters after this.   
> love you all!!  
> xxx

 

"Jake, what were you doing up so late last night?"

Jeremy asked, trying to cram another book into his bag. It wasn't working. 

"I dunno. I talked to my soulmate for a while. He's dope. I wanna tell you all about him later. But then he fell asleep pretty early and I couldn't sleep, so I just kinda looked out the window. It was nice." 

Jeremy nodded, finally zipping his bag and grabbing a granola bar from his desk. "Are you getting off of work early?" He asked through a mouthful of granola.

"Nah. I'll see you tonight." He paused, his face suddenly lighting up. "Hey, did you hear about the big frat party? I got invited. We should go."

Jeremy physically grimaced. Parties had never been his scene.

"C'mon, man. Don't make that face. It'll be fun! We can get drunk off our asses." Jake supplied after seeing his expression. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"Why on earth would that be fun?" He groaned, glancing at his watch. He would usually just say he was going to be late and use that as his excuse to leave, but he was actually early today.  _ Fuck.  _ He loved Jake, but he had been roped into too many of these Friday night plans. 

"Because. It just will be. If you relax maybe you can even make friends. Please?"

Jeremy groaned, glancing at his face. Jake was giving him puppy eyes. Shit. He couldn't say no to  _ that. _

"Fine. I'll go-"

"Yes!" Jake punched the air triumphantly.

"-But I can't promise I'll stay, and I'm definitely not going to make friends. I don't like drunk people! We've been over this." 

He laughed and nodded, slinging his own bag over his shoulder with ease. Jeremy was sure Jake was just leaving fast so he wouldn't have a chance to change his mind. "I should get going. Seeya!" Jake called over his shoulder.

Jeremy didn't even have enough time to reply before he was out the door. 

That afternoon he came back to an empty dorm, as expected, and fell back on his bed with a sigh. It'd been a long day and he was glad it was over, and that he had the whole weekend to relax. And then he groaned, remembering what he'd promised Jake. Stupid fucking frat party, and stupid Jake's persuasion tactics. 

_ My roommate is making me go to a party tonight.  _

**_Oh, boohoo. Parties can be fun!_ **

_ Rarely. And it's a frat party. _

**_How the hell'd you get invited to a frat party?_ **

_ My roommate. He's pretty popular, I don't know. He's the only nice guy who's friends with that crowd. I'm gonna be miserable.  _

**_It's sweet that you did that for your roommate, though. And try to look on the bright side- it's a frat party, I'm sure there will be alcohol._ **

_ Why does everyone think it's fun to get drunk? _

**_Because it is._ **

_ I prefer weed, thanks. I don't like vomiting or hangovers _

**_Me too, honestly. But getting drunk can be good sometimes. I bet you're funny drunk._ **

_ Well, we'll see, I guess. Because as much as I don't like drinking, there's no way I'm facing that party sober.  _

**_You're acting like this is the end of the world. Have you never gotten drunk before?_ **

_ I mean.... I have, but not, like, wildly drunk.  _

**_Looking forward to it. Stay safe, though._ **

_ Awww. You care about me. _

Jeremy had been elated early on when he figured out that M enjoyed his extreme sarcasm as much as he did.

**_I want you to be in one piece when we meet._ **

_ That'd be nice, I guess. _

Jeremy chuckled and sat up, glancing around his room. 

_ What do people wear to frat parties?  _

He scanned the pile of dirty clothes by his bed. Neither Jake nor him cleaned often. He reached for the striped t shirt that was balled up under his desk.

**_You're asking this like I go to frat parties regularly. I've literally been to one, and I left thirty minutes in._ **

_ I thought you liked parties. _

**_The police were there._ **

_ Oh. Thirty minutes in? That must have gotten crazy fast. _

**_Ohhh Yeah. Batshit crazy. Someone took a piss on the roof._ **

_ I don't even wanna know how that happened.  _

"Hey dude! You ready for tonight?" Jake had barged through the door with a big grin. He was so excited that Jeremy couldn't help but just smile and say "Yeah." 

He eventually decided on an old flannel over his only white t-shirt that didn't have coffee stains on it. Jake gave him a thumbs up after putting on his usual muscle tank and varsity jacket. Jeremy took a deep breath before they left. This night could go a lot of ways, many of which were shitty. He shoved his phone in his pocket and followed Jake down the stairs.

_ Leaving. Wish me luck. _

**_Godspeed, young soldier._ **

_ Weirdo. _

But he was smiling now. 

**_You're the one who needs good luck at a party._ **

_ True, true. _

**_Hey, just don't make out with anyone random._ **

Jeremy felt his stomach flip at that. He knew M had been joking, but very real insecurity bled through his tone.

_ Wouldn't dream of it.  _

When they arrived at that fraternity house, Jeremy was already overwhelmed and regret was pooling in his stomach. He trailed behind Jake and watched as he fist bumped and bro-hugged more boys than he could count. Luckily, Jake didn't mind Jeremy following him- this is how it always was when they went to parties together. Sometimes Jake would even introduce him to one of his numerous football buddies. Jeremy would smile and nod politely, but never more than that. He didn't like to think he was antisocial, but talking to those boys- especially the popular ones- made him pretty anxious. 

He glanced over at the living room, where the music was coming from, and nearly gagged at the couples grinding there. They were practically fucking in the middle of the room. He couldn't help but think about M, though. He wondered if M did that at parties, and suddenly he knew he was blushing. Fuck.

He stumbled after Jake and someone handed him a beer and then another. He downed them in no time. They kept coming and coming out of nowhere, and he kept on drinking them. What else could he do? Every sip melted his worries and made everything feel much less... shitty. He had no clue how long he'd been there or how many beers he'd had. He felt like he was floating.

Jeremy eventually found a seat on a sofa next to another boy with a beer and watched as Jake was swallowed by the crowd. Sober Jeremy might have panicked, but drunk Jeremy felt warm and happy. He wanted Jake to have fun.

_ Hiii M! I just had a beer and another thing. I think. No- wait- it was just a beer. A lot of beers. My roommate is gone and I'm feeling amazeballs! _

Jeremy's tone was bubbly, giggly, and slurred. 

**_Jesus Christ. Are you a lightweight?_ **

Jeremy frowned indignantly. 

_ No! No. Whoa. Your voice is really hot. _

M must have been caught off guard, because it was a few seconds before he responded, and his voice sounded strained when he did- it came as more a squeak.

**_Thanks, J. I- I like your voice too._ **

He relayed those words in his head over and over. _ I like you voice too. _

**_Where's your roommate? You should find him._ **

_ I dunno. Where's your roommate? _

**_He's... He's working out, I think. It doesn't matter. Are you okay? Are you with someone you know?_ **

Jeremy glanced at the boy beside him and grinned. He may have been a stranger, but M didn't need to know that. He didn't want him worrying.

_ Yep. _

**_Good. You should be careful, you sound super drunk._ **

Jeremy pretended not to hear that. He was sure he wasn't  _ that _ drunk. He thought back to earlier and grinned, his cheeks going pink.

_ I saw people, uh, what do you call it... Grinding! They were dancing really weird like- I dunno. I thought about you, do you do that? Would you do that? I don't know. It was weird. I don't know what you look like, but I imagined you. That would be...... fun. _

M didn't respond, so Jeremy just took another swig of beer and opened his eyes. The other boy with the beer looked kind of grumpy, so he decided to cheer him up.

"Hey there!" Jeremy slurred, smiling at the boy next to him and letting his head fall back against the couch cushion. "Hi. I'm not looking for casual hookups, so if that's why your here you might want to go somewhere else." There was a bite to the boy's tone, and it took Jeremy a couple of seconds to process what he'd said. He blinked at him blankly, and then it registered. 

"Oh. Ohhh. Oh no. No. I'm waiting for my soulmate. I don't want to. My soulmate- I talk to him a lot." Jeremy mumbled with a grin, and the boy seemed to soften. "Thank god. You're the first person that hasn't tried to make out with me. I'm waiting for my soulmate too." He said, taking another sip of beer after. Jeremy wondered to himself how this short boy next to him was so composed and uptight right now. He didn't seem like the uptight type. Jeremy glanced at the red streak in his blond hair and the muscle tank, similar to Jake's, that hung loosely around his torso, and frowned. He  _ really _ didn't seem like the uptight type. He decided to voice his concerns.

"Wh- whats wrong?" Jeremy asked, brows furrowed. The boy scanned his face for a second, looking for something maybe. Jeremy didn't know. He felt funny in his stomach, but not M funny. Not butterflies. It was like this conversation was important. Or maybe he was just sick. 

"Honestly? I don't know. It's- I guess I'm just worried about stuff. Like- what if my soulmate hates me? He's really nice, but- I dunno. I'm too much, I think. Like, here I am telling some drunk ass kid all my issues. I came to this party and I didn't even tell my roommate because I just wanted to get fucking wasted and not have anyone worry or care. I think I'm annoying. The only person who doesn't think I'm annoying is my best friend, my roommate, and I just lied to him. Even my parents fucking hate me now. Because my soulmate is a boy. God, I don't know. Sorry." 

Jeremy sat with wide eyes, unsure of how to respond. This boy had a lot of baggage.

Fortunately, he didn't have to reply. Unfortunately, it was because he was about to vomit. He clamped a hand over his mouth and the other boy's eyes went wide, obviously getting the message. He grabbed Jeremy's arm and tugged him to the nearest bathroom, flinging open the door and shoving the couple that had been kissing in there out roughly. He ignored the middle fingers and slurred insults as he shut and locked the door behind them, and Jeremy kneeled in front of the toilet, emptying the contents of his stomach there. It felt awful, and he couldn't stop tears from rolling down his face. His hair was sticking to his face with sweat. Things were blurry and gross, and when he'd heaved for the last time, he sat back on his knees and cried. 

"S- sorry. I'm so stupid, I'm sorry. I embarrassed M and I'm st- stupid." He blubbered, wiping his face on his flannel sleeve. 

The nice stranger boy wiped his face and flushed the toilet, wincing at the odor but helping nonetheless. He said nothing. He rubbed Jeremy's back gently as he cried, before disappearing and then reappearing with a cup of something. Not beer. Maybe water?

"Drink this. You'll feel better."

Jeremy didn't have it in him to protest, so he just obeyed, gulping until the entire cup was empty. He didn't feel much better, but it was something. His vision was a little steadier. The boy gave him a long and hard look, his eyes tough but kind. He stared at Jeremy in a confusing way and Jeremy didn't care enough to ask about it. Maybe he felt that same sense of importance about this night and the conversation. 

Before he knew it, the short boy had helped him stand and was propping him up and stumbling with him into the hallway, and in an instant he was gone and suddenly Jeremy was leaning on his other friend. His head was pounding. 

"Chl- Chloe?" He slurred, squinting as the mass of brown curls by his head. "Jesus Christ, Jeremy. You really made a mess of yourself." She muttered, glancing at him as she snaked a hand around his waist to prop him up. "You're lucky Rich was there."  _ Rich? Who's Rich? _

"Jake! Your roommate is-" She was shouting, and Jeremy tuned out the rest. He needed to see that other boy again, know why he seemed so important, to know why they met. There had to be a reason. But now Jake was here, a sympathetic smile on his face, and he was taking Jeremy from Chloe and he was halfway home and he was thinking about M and everything was smelly and-

Blackness. 

He woke up in his own bed. 

Jeremy blinked at the sun filtering through the blinds and immediately shut his eyes again. His head was fucking pounding, and light was not helping. He groaned and slowly sat up, becoming acutely aware of how awful he felt. Shit. What the fuck had happened last night? He shut his eyes and focused, trying to search his mind. It was fuzzy and kind of a blur. He remembered losing Jake, the beers... and more beers... that explained the headache. He cringed and felt heat rushing his cheeks as he remembered his conversation with M. He would have to do some damage control there. And then he remembered that other boy, their talk.... vomiting. He flinched just thinking about it, and the way his stomach was turning he felt like he might do it again. 

Eventually, he rolled over and sat on the edge of his bed, grabbing the glass of water from his desk. Jeremy glanced down to see that he had fallen asleep in last night's clothes, and shivered as a breeze rushed by. He looked up to see Jake leaning out the open window with a cup of hot chocolate. He waved to someone.

"Jake?" Jeremy muttered weakly, and Jake turned around, a grin spreading across his face. "Morning, buddy. How're you feeling?" He asked, and Jeremy had to step back. He was just being so  _ loud _ .

"Not... not too good."

"Oh, man. That's not surprising. You shoulda seen yourself last night, dude. You were plastered. It was hilarious. I pretty much had to carry you home." Jake chuckled. Jeremy rolled his eyes and groaned, he wasn't in the mood for this. How was Jake not hungover?

He was quickly distracted by a cheerful voice in his head. 

**_Morning, Sunshine!_ **

_ Fuck you. _

**_Feeling good?_ **

_ What do you think? _

**_I think you're a lightweight. And I think you told me you wanted to grind on me last night._ **

Jeremy knew M couldn't see him, but he buried his face in his hands anyway. He'd forgotten about that.

_ Ughhh. I'm sorry about that. _

**_Nah, don't apologize. I enjoyed it._ **

This only made Jeremy more flustered, the butterflies stomach suddenly coming to life.

**_Hey. Can I ask you something?_ **

_ Shoot. _

**_Do you actually think my voice is hot?_ **

That's something Jeremy did remember, but that didn't make it any less mortifying to think about. He wasn't going to lie, though. 

_ Yeah.  _

**_Oh- uh.... Thanks._ **

There was an awkward moment of quiet, so he got up to wash his face in the bathroom. Despite his exhaustion, his mind was a whirlwind. Everything felt weird right now. He kept thinking and thinking- he wasn't connecting the dots on something and he knew it. But he couldn't figure it out. Was he forgetting something? What had that boy's name been again?

He stepped back out and watched Jake holding a blue t-shirt in front of him. There was a big brown stain across the front. 

"What's that from?" Jeremy asked, not actually caring. He just wanted to fill the quiet. 

"Coffee." He mumbled, scanning the shirt with his eyes. No amount of scrubbing would get this out.

"But you hate coffee." Jeremy said, confused.  _ Wait... _

"Oh, some kid spilled his on me earlier this week. Wednesday morning, I think."

Jeremy's eyes widened. No. Way.

Things began to click into place. If he was right about this....

"Jake, what was the first thing you said to your soulmate?"

  
  



	4. Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was late that morning and Rich was still groggy, sitting on the middle of the floor with a cup of soup in his hands. Michael waved to the window boy, who appeared to have a mug of something himself. He turned back to his own roommate.
> 
> "Dude. Are you okay?" Michael asked. Rich looked up from his soup, confused. "Uh... Yeah. Why?"
> 
> "It's just...." Michael wrinkled his nose. "You came in last night smelling like vomit. Not usually part of your workout."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Sorry, I know this really short, but the next real chapter should be out soon!!  
> xxx

It was late that morning and Rich was still groggy, sitting on the middle of the floor with a cup of soup in his hands. Michael waved to the window boy, who appeared to have a mug of something himself. He turned back to his own roommate.

"Dude. Are you okay?" Michael asked. Rich looked up from his soup, confused. "Uh... Yeah. Why?" 

"It's just...." Michael wrinkled his nose. "You came in last night smelling like vomit. Not usually part of your workout." 

Rich looked down. "Someone threw up at the gym... I think they were on the treadmill too long." 

Michael raised his eyebrows- he was doubtful, but he didn't say anything. He watched Rich eat his soup for a moment before sighing and walking back to the window, but the window boy was gone and his window was closed. Michael didn't know why this made him sad, but it did. He turned back to Rich to see if he could make him laugh, but Rich's eyes were squeezed shut. He was talking to his soulmate again. Michael gave another over dramatic sigh to get his attention, but to no avail. Rich was in his own world. Michael wanted to complain, but he couldn't. He understood. 

After a few more minutes of waiting for Rich, his eyes swept under their beds. A beer can, a cheeto bag, some pac-man boxers, and neatly folded pile of clothes. They were Rich's gym clothes, but they were folded like they had been when he'd done laundry last week. That was weird. Really weird. 

Rich was lying to him.

"Rich?" No response. 

"Richard?" Still nothing.

"Richard Gorinski!"

Rich's eyes snapped open, and Michael immediately regretted yelling because Rich looked really upset. 

"Shit-s- sorry, Rich, I didn't-" He stammered, but Rich cut him off.

"No, no. It's not you. What do you need?" He asked, and he was trying to sound mad, but he just sounded panicked. Michael knew that tone of voice.

"Rich, what's wrong?" He asked, sitting across from him on the carpet. Rich glanced at him and then down again, running a hand down his face. "Uh, I dunno, man. My soulmate just randomly stopped talking to me a minute ago and I think it's 'cause I'm too annoying, and I just-" He shut his eyes, they'd started to get shiny. "I don't know."

Michael nodded understandingly. "I know, but like... You're definitely not annoying. He's probably just busy! It's ok." He tried to be as comforting as he could, even though had no honest clue what to do. He still wasn't great at this stuff. But Rich seemed to relax a little, nodding in gratitude. Michael remembered the gym clothes. He huffed- he knew he needed to ask now, but he didn't want to freak Rich out more. He took another deep breath.

"Uh, Rich? Where were you last night? I'm not mad or anything, but..." He gestured to the folded gym clothes, and Rich's eyes widened. "You definitely didn't work out."

Rich glanced at the gym clothes, back at Michael, and then down at his soup. He'd been caught. 

"Well... I... I was at a frat party. I'm sorry. I just- I- I needed to forget for a night, y'know? And- before you say this- I didn't  _ not _ tell you because I was embarrassed to bring you. I would've brought you. It's just... I just- I didn't want anyone worrying about me. But I ended up just taking care of a drunk kid the whole time, that's why I smelled. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Michael, I'm a shitty friend." 

Michael was silent for a moment, considering that. The words 'frat party' were ringing through his head. _ J was at a frat party last night. _ And he had to admit, Rich knew him pretty well, because the first thing that had come into his head was the fact that Rich might have been embarrassed of him.

"You're not a shitty friend, Rich. You're a shitty liar." He said, and Rich looked relieved. That was Michael's way of saying he forgave him. "But  _ please _ don't do that again, I don't want you getting hurt." He begged, and Rich nodded, smiling sheepishly in response.

"What was the party like, though? Who was the drunk guy? Did he throw up  _ on _ you?" Michael asked the last question with horror in his voice. Rich snorted. 

"No, no. Nearly, though. He kinda... stumbled over, talked about his soulmate, asked me what was wrong and then I brought him to a bathroom so he could throw up. Chloe came and got him after that." He said, leaning back on his hands. He seemed to be feeling much better now, which in turn made Michael smile. There was still a little buzz of curiosity in the back of his head, though. Something he knew was completely irrational, but...

"What was his name? The boy?" Michal asked, a little too enthusiastically, and Rich gave him a funny look. "Uh... I dunno. Why?" 

It was Michael's turn to look at the ground sheepishly. "It's dumb... my soulmate was shitfaced at a frat party last night, too, and.... I don't know." He mumbled, and Rich perked up. "Is- Do you know what he looks like?" Rich asked quietly. Michael glanced up, his brows furrowed. "Uh... he's tall." His heart skipped a beat thinking about it. He recalled the time  J told him he'd never been tan, only sunburned. "And he's definitely white. Like, pale white." Rich nodded in response, saying nothing. "And, Uh... he's pretty nerdy. Not the party type."

Rich's eyes went wide _.  _ So all of these things were definitely meaning something to him. Michael hadn't wanted to get his hopes up, but how could he not? His heart was beating harder than he would have liked to admit.

"This sounds... this sounds like the boy from the party, but the odds are like... Damn, how many guys like that exist?"

Rich sounded unsure, and Michael understood. He didn't want him getting too excited, just to have his hopes crushed. But Michael was too far gone for that. He also wanted to explain that there was nobody like J- no other boy in the world like his soulmate. But that was too cheesy to say out loud. 

"Maybe... I mean, he said something about -"

Rich stopped mid sentence, his eyes snapping shut. His soulmate must've been talking to him. Michael was about to sigh and turn away when his own soulmate started to speak frantically, making Michael's head spin. This was too much at once.

_ Hey. M, this is super important. What did the guy you spilled coffee on look like? Do you remember? What was he wearing?  _

**_Uhhh- he was tall. Blue shirt? I think? Why?_ **

_ Ok ok ok holy shit. _

**_J, what's going on?_ **

_ I'll explain in a minute, just- _

"Michael!"

Rich was shaking his shoulders with wild brightness in his eyes. 

"What? Why is everyone-"

"Dude, we- we have to go. Now."

Michael jerked himself away from Rich. 

"What the fuck? What's going-"

Rich just pulled him up and tugged him out the door, not waiting for any reply. Michael was wildly confused and mildly concerned- this was not normal by any means. 

"Rich!" 

Rich just kept running down the hall, pausing momentarily at the elevator but evidently deciding to take the stairs. Michael didn't have any other choice but to follow him, seeing as Rich was pulling him by the wrist, so he did, his curiosity and bewilderment only building. He kept asking and Rich kept ignoring him, so eventually he gave up. After stumbling down a few flights of stairs they reached the metal door and Rich flung it open with abandon. 

It hit Michael directly in the face. 

"Ow! Rich! What th-" 

Rich finally turned, flinching and apologizing, but only for a second. He let go of Michael's arm and started to run. 

Michal, still terribly confused, rubbed his face for a moment before stepping out into the sun. There was a big courtyard between the two dorm buildings, lined with benches, picnic tables, and various plants. Michael squinted as his eyes adjusted to the new light, scanning for Rich. He finally located him and his eyes went wider. He was still running, this time towards someone. No, two people. Michael started walking in the direction, and then he broke into a sprint, despite how winded he already was. 

That was the window boy! How did Rich know him? 

And who was that other person?

"J!" Rich shouted, and Michael watched the window boy's eyes go wide and his face break into a wild grin. His roommate collided with him seconds later, and they were hugging each other- the window boy picking him up and spinning him around before-

Suddenly, Michael understood. 

That was Rich's soulmate. 

The boy he'd spilled coffee on, the boy he'd been talking to from his window for the past few days, that boy was Rich's fucking soulmate. He felt everything at once- proud and confused and happy and jealous and-

There was a tap on his shoulder. 

He turned to face a boy- tall, pale, smiling awkwardly. Adorable. This was the boy who'd come out with Rich's soulmate. They were both frozen for a minute. 

"Hi. I'm- I'm Jeremy."

"I'm Mic-"

He stopped dead mid sentence, his eyes widening and his heart skipping a beat.

He'd know that voice anywhere.  

"It's- It's You!"

  
  



	5. Wow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Jake, what was the first thing you said to your soulmate?"
> 
> Jake looked up at him, obviously puzzled. "Uh... I dunno. I think something about smelling like coffee..... Because of this shirt, actually..... Why?"
> 
> Jeremy's eyes widened. No. Fucking. Way.  
> (aka they FINALLY realize)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi hi I really really hope you enjoy this!!! It's literally just... Fluff. So much happy fluff its like gag worthy. Very cheesy. You've been warned. (this is the last chapter fyi)  
> love you all so much!! I keep re reading the sweet comments, they really make me want to write more.  
> xxx

"Jake, what was the first thing you said to your soulmate?"

Jake looked up at him, obviously puzzled. "Uh... I dunno. I think something about smelling like coffee..... Because of this shirt, actually..... Why?"

Jeremy's eyes widened. No. Fucking. Way.

"Dude, Uh... What's the deal? You okay?" Jake was staring at him, still holding up that Blue coffee stained t-shirt. Jeremy finally regained his ability to speak. 

"Th- the first thing my soulmate's roommate's soulmate- he- He said something about smelling like coffee, Jake." Jeremy's voice was shaking with excitement. "And my soulmate spilled coffee on someone Wednesday morning."

Jeremy watched the confusion turn to understanding, and then to shock, and finally elation.

"Dude! Is- He's gotta- Your- your soulmate is that window boy!"

Jeremy hadn't expected that, and now  _ he _ was confused. "Window boy?"

"I mean- I've been looking out the window and there's another boy who always looks out too, across the way, and he's the one one that spilled coffee on me!" Jake glanced back down. 

"There's no way that could be someone else." He added, sounding as dazed and hopeful as Jeremy felt.

Jeremy's heart leapt into his throat. Holy fuck.

M was so close, he'd just have to go outside. He felt like he could faint, or run a marathon, probably both.

"Hold on- I'm gonna check with him. Just to see." Jake was breathless, shutting his eyes and trying to focus enough to talk to his soulmate. They were both giddy. Jeremy decided to do the same.

_ Hey. M, this is super important. What did the guy you spilled coffee on look like? Do you remember? What was he wearing?  _

**_Uhhh- he was tall. Blue shirt? I think? Why?_ **

_ Ok ok ok holy shit. _

**_J, what's going on?_ **

_ I'll explain in a minute, just- _

"Jeremy. Dude."

Jeremy looked at Jake, and the urgency in his eyes was infectious. "We- we're gonna- He'll meet us- They'll both- I-" Jake looked frustrated as he fumbled over his words. "Go. Let's go!" He finally said, and Jeremy didn't need to be told twice. He followed Jake out of their room, down the hall, breaking into a sprint one he got to the stairs. He was about to meet M. He was about to meet his soulmate. 

That's when he faltered.

He couldn't stop the onslaught of self doubt-  _ What if things go wrong? What if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks I'm ugly? What if he just wants to be friends? What if he's- _

"Jeremy." 

Jeremy hadn't realized that he'd stopped in the middle of the hallway right by the exit, or that his eyes had been squeezed shut. He opened them. Jake was now standing right in front of him, grabbing his shoulders. He wore a concerned but understanding expression. "It's gonna be okay, dude. I promise."

Jeremy took a deep breath. This was M. He knew M. M knew him.  _ It's gonna be ok.  _

He nodded after a moment and Jake gave him a quick reassuring smile. Jeremy was briefly reminded of what a good fucking friend Jake was- even with his soulmate possibly feet away, he was waiting for him.

They walked out together, the sun pleasantly warming Jeremy's face, but he didn't notice. He was practically vibrating with energy- whether it was excitement or panic he didn't know. He did know, however, that he could see someone now. A small form was barreling towards them-well, towards Jake- and shouting "J!"

Jeremy tried to make out details, and his jaw dropped when he realized who it was. This boy- Jakes soulmate- was the one who'd taken care of him at the party last night. Jeremy couldn't believe it. This couldn't be real life- how close had Jake and him come to meeting before? 

Before Jeremy could process anything, the shorter boy (whom Jeremy couldn't seem to remember the name of) was sprinting into Jakes open arms, clinging to him desperately. Jake spun him around and pulled him close, and that's when Jeremy looked away. Partially because he felt like he shouldn't be watching that, and partially because there was someone else nearby. He felt his heart jump into his throat and his stomach jolt as he finally lay his eyes on a boy wearing a red hoodie. He was distracted, his shoulder turned from Jeremy so that he couldn't see him, watching with a mesmerized stare as Rich and Jake hugged each other. Jeremy admired him- he had glasses, messy dark hair, and big brown eyes. If falling for someone at first sight was real, this was what it had to feel like. He couldn't stop staring, and he felt the familiar panic creeping back into his system.  He knew he needed to say something soon, but what was he supposed to say? He would turn to him soon and then he'd have to say  _ something _ and that could go terribly and then- 

He took a deep breath. No turning back now. He walked forward and reached out, tapping his soulmate on the shoulder. The boy turned to him, eyes still wide, and Jeremy froze for a minute. 

Holy. Shit. Those. Eyes.

He couldn't think of what to say- this was his fucking soulmate, what could he do but stutter and stare?

"Hi. I'm- I'm Jeremy."

_ Really? Really? You're meeting your soulmate for the first time and that's what you say?  _ Jeremy wanted to slap himself. 

"I'm Mic-"

That voice made Jeremy's skin warm, but it was silenced quickly as realization passed over his face. Jeremy's hands were shaking. 

"It's- It's You!" He yelped suddenly, and before Jeremy could react, confirm, or even exhale, there were arms warm around him, hugging him so tight it hurt. 

That's when it all melted away. He didn't have any reason to be anxious, insecure, or anything other than absolutely giddy. This was M- his soulmate, his favorite person in the world. And he was real! He was right there, solid and warm in his arms.

He hugged back tightly, taking fistfuls of the back of his baggy sweatshirt, burying his face in M's shoulder and breathing him in. Jeremy went weak in the knees. He smelled like Doritos, weed and vanilla. He felt like he was floating. 

After probably the longest hug of either of their lives, they finally pulled away from each other reluctantly. M's hands still rested on Jeremy's shoulders, however, so that was still extremely distracting. They were barely roughing his skin but he was so aware of how his skin seemed to burn at the contact. Jeremy watched his soulmate's eyes sweep his body and knew he was blushing, glancing down. "Jeremy." He breathed, as if trying the name out. (He liked it.) Jeremy's heart skipped a beat as he watched grin spread across his face. He wanted to hear his name in that voice again. He suddenly remembered that he didn't even know M's full name yet.

"And your name is...?" He asked, his cheeks flushing more at how breathless and wrecked his voice sounded. This was all too much in the best fucking way. 

M gazed at him for a minute before he registered what Jeremy had said. He smacked his forehead at his forgetfulness. "Fuck! Sorry. I didn't even realize... I.... My name's Michael." He said, and Jeremy couldn't help but grin stupidly. "Michael! I- I'm- I just- Oh my god." He sputtered, and Michael chuckled, making Jeremy's heart flutter. His laugh was fucking adorable. And his eyes and his hair and his glasses and literally everything. And his voice was even hotter in real life and his smile was breathtaking. All of it.

Jeremy wanted to say all of this, but he couldn't. He was tongue tied, too caught up to even stop staring at him. Michael was his soulmate. He kept blinking stupidly, a million thoughts and questions melting into stutters and big eyes.

"You never told me- You blush so much, oh my god." Michael teased with a grin, and Jeremy groaned, hiding his face. He hated obvious he was.

"Fuck you." He mumbled, but he was still smiling, big. 

"Be my guest." Michael said with a quiet smirk, and Jeremy shoved his arm, still laughing. His face got hotter at that, though, and not from the sun.

Michael's hands returned to his shoulders, and all of the sudden they weren't laughing anymore- those big brown eyes were scanning his face again and Jeremy was gazing right back at him. His own hands snaked around to interlock on the back of Michael's neck, and he could hear a sharp intake of breath. Jeremy gave the slightest nod and Michael was leaning in slowly, and holy fuck this was really happening, this was so fast, and- and-

"Dude!! No fuckin' way!" A loud voice and a hand on his shoulder caused Jeremy to practically leap backwards, Michael doing the same. He turned and came face to face with Jake's soulmate- the party vomit guy. He grinned awkwardly, trying to hide the fact that he'd just been inches from kissing Michael for the first time.

"Oh, uh, Hey!" He said, and was shocked when the boy wrapped him in a quick hug, his arms squeezing Jeremy's torso because of his height. He hugged back, laughing a little in surprise before they pulled apart. The boy didn't let go yet, though, leaning back to sweep his eyes up and down Jeremy in a way that made him look down. "So this is your soulmate. Nice job, Mikey boy." He said, and both Jeremy and Michael blushed profusely, Michael tugging Jeremy away from him with a glare. The other boy just snorted. 

"Thanks, by the way. Sorry about...." Jeremy's voice trailed off, and he chuckled. He caught a glimpse of Jake looking absolutely stupidly lovesick behind him. "Kinda throwing up on me? No worries, dude." He said with a snort, and Jeremy grinned sheepishly. Jake appeared behind him with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, Jere- you- you know Rich?" He said, his eyes wide. So that was his name- he suddenly remembered Chloe saying it. "Y-yeah. He's the guy that looked after me when I got drunk last night." Jeremy said, glancing at the ground in embarrassment. Michael laughed from behind him. "No fucking way. This is all too crazy." He said, and Rich smiled in agreement. 

Jake and Rich were hilarious together- Jake was a good foot taller than his soulmate. He kept getting flustered at everything Rich did, earning teasing from Jeremy. Michael watched them all with a grin- he still seemed as overwhelmed as Jeremy felt. 

"Michael, sorry, bud, but I'm taking Jake back to our room. And you might not want to be there for what we-"

"Got it! Got it. You don't need to tell us." Michael cut him off, and Jake laughed, his face going a little pink. He was quickly learning that Rich was never subtle. 

"I'll go with Jeremy... I mean, wait- I don't want to invite myself over that's not- I just-" He backpedaled, but Jeremy just smiled and shook his head, cutting him off. "Michael. It's fine. I  _ want _ you to come over." he said, and the boy sighed in relief. "Ok. Good." 

Rich wiggled his eyebrows at them and Michael shoved him away indignantly, but he was hiding a grin. Jake grabbed Rich's hand and chuckled when Rich took charge, dragging him off in the direction of the building. 

"Don't have sex on my bed!" Michael shouted behind them, and Rich replied with "No promises, Mell!" over his shoulder. Michael flipped him off and groaned dramatically, earning laughter from Jeremy. 

Michael was cute when he was angry.

He reached hesitantly for Michael's hand, warmth blooming in his chest when Michael interlocked their fingers right away. Michael's hand was warm and surprisingly larger than Jeremy's. They were both quiet for a moment. "So. My place? We can just, like, eat Mac n cheese and play video games. If that's what you want" He muttered, and Michael smiled at him once again. Each smile knocked the sense out of Jeremy, leaving him stuttering on every word. 

"That sounds perfect."

They walked back to Jeremy's building hand in hand, and Jeremy wondered if Michael was as painfully and blissfully aware of the contact as he was. He'd never felt like this touching anyone before. The thought of touching Michael more…. That was dizzying. They were both quiet, maybe from anticipation, maybe from nerves, until they arrived at the elevator and stepped in. (Each was still winded from running so fast.) It was empty except for them, which was a relief. Jeremy couldn't explain why he felt like this- Michael had always had an affect on him, but this-  _ this _ was wild.

"Mell? Is that, like, a nickname? Or your last name?" He asked to fill the quiet. He also figured that he should probably learn his soulmate's last name eventually. 

"Oh. Yeah, it's my last name. Me and Rich do that sometimes. I call him Richard Gorinski when I'm mad." He said, cracking a grin as he spoke. "What about you? Your last name, I mean." 

"Oh. Heere. It's spelled like the word 'here' but with an extra E. Weird, I know." He replied, wrinkling his nose in a way that made Michael chuckle. "It's not  _ that _ weird. Not as weird as Gorinski."

They stepped off the Elevator and Jeremy led Michael down the hallway. They were still holding hands, so that was promising. Despite their light banter, Jeremy was still giddy and nervous in the pit of his stomach. He didn't think he would ever get used to being able to actually touch his soulmate. 

Jeremy tried to hide the way his hands were shaking as he reached for his doorknob, but evidently Michael was a very observant person, because he noticed right away. Of course he noticed.

"You okay, dude?" He asked, softly, and Jeremy's heart skipped, like, six beats at that tone. He'd never heard Michael speak that gently before. "Y-yeah. I just... I'm a little anxious. This is a lot at once. Don't worry about it." He stuttered, giving him a weak smile. Michael bit his lip for a second, before squeezing other Jeremy's hand and nodding hesitantly. 

When they finally made it inside, Jeremy scanned the mess around him with growing shame. "Fuck- So much for good first impressions, I guess. It's a shit show in here." He mumbled, and Michael snorted. That was cute. "Jeremy. Seriously. I already know you." He said, and Jeremy let himself relax. That was true. "Plus, I'm way, way messier than this. It's clean in here compared to Rich and I's place. Just wait 'till you see that." He added, and Jeremy genuinely smiled again. He kept doing that- smiling big and really meaning it. It was new and lovely. He glanced back at Michael- the afternoon light filtering through the blinds was hitting his face, illuminating it against the dark room. He tried to capture it in his head. It was hard to believe this was real fucking life. It was weird how he kept switching from light hearted joking to lovesick awe. Michael glanced at him again and he knew he probably should have looked away, but fuck. He didn't even care that Michael knew he was staring. The brown eyes Cast back down to their interlocked hands

He wanted to try something. 

_ Wow. _

Michael looked up at him, eyes widening behind his glasses a little. So they could still talk like that. Of course, Jeremy had known enough people who could do that. But it still set his pulse racing a little. 

**_Wow what?_ **

_ Wow you. _

Finally, Michael was flustered too. It was too fucking adorable. Jeremy couldn't help what he did next.

He stepped towards Michael, bringing himself much closer than he had been before. He took Michael's other hand as well, looking down at him with big eyes. He could feel the slightly shorter boy's breath on his neck, and it sent a chill up his spine. This was really happening. 

He was really doing this.

Jeremy couldn't look Michael in the eyes, he knew he'd chicken out if he did. He could tell Michael was confused, though, even with him making it very obvious what he was (trying) to do. 

_ Ok. It's ok. He's my soulmate. I can do this. _

Jeremy leaned down a little, connecting Michael's lips with his. 

Honestly, it was weird. It made Jeremy's chest feel like it was full of fireworks, and it was amazing to be touching him and everything felt warm-

-But Michael wasn't kissing back. As soon as Jeremy realized this he jerked his head back, the same panic and insecurity bubbling back up in his throat. Michael wore a dazed and shocked expression, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

_ Fuck. _

"I'm- I- I'm so sorry, I just thought that- since- I'm so stupid.. I didn't-" 

Jeremy sputtered, burying his face in his hands. Of course. Of course he'd fucking jumped to conclusions and ruined things already. Michael probably thought he was weird or crazy or-

"Shut up." 

He was startled when Michael pulled his hands away from his face gently, wearing an unreadable but raw expression, and even more startled when Michael pushed him back against the wall. The most shocking of all, however, was when Michael crashed his lips against Jeremy's, pinning him against the the surface with the ferocity and passion of his kiss. Searing was an understatement  _.  _ Of course, after getting over the surprise, Jeremy absolutely melted into it. He was practically a puddle on the floor. This time the kiss wasn't weird, despite their mutual lack of experience. Yes, it was awkward, but it felt too wonderful for that to matter. Jeremy involuntarily let out a soft grunt. Michael only pulled away when they were both out of breath and red in the face.

"You were right." He muttered, looking up at Jeremy and just barely licking his lips. Damn. "Wow is right." He added, chuckling under his breath. Jeremy gulped, hard.  _ Wow wow wow wow wow. _

Michael blinked up at him for a moment, breathing hard, before he leaned in slowly and kissed him once again.

Hours passed, and somehow they ended up on the bed, with Jeremy's head resting on Michael chest. He was hyper aware of every point that their bodies were touching, despite the fact that he'd been kissing Michael all afternoon. He propped his chin up and stared at Michael again, deep in thought. 

"D'you think Jake will be back tonight?" He mumbled sleepily. It was earlier than he usually slept, but Jeremy was already tired. The day really had been a roller coaster, and he was still recovering from a hangover despite the fact that the morning seemed to be miles away. And he was still trying to figure out how he could feel this deliriously happy. Michael scoffed. 

"Do you think Jake will be back  _ ever? _ Rich is so in love with that guy, he'll never let him leave." He said, and Jeremy felt the vibrations of Michael's chuckle in his chest. It was nice and Jeremy was once again flustered, burying his face into that warm red hoodie. Everything smelled like him. Jeremy thought fondly about how his pillow was going to smell like Michael for the next few days. Or maybe weeks, if he kept coming over. He squeezed his eyes shut as fumbling hands started to absentmindedly play with his hair.

"Dork." Jeremy muttered.

"Dickwad." Michael shot back with a smirk.

"Loser."

"Nerd."

"Pothead."

"Lightweight."

Jeremy paused for a moment, lifting his head with a smirk.

"Hottie."

That shut him up quickly, and he shoved Jeremy indignantly, trying to hide is flustered grin. Jeremy didn't budge, though. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Michael. I’m too comfy."

Michael snorted and rolled his eyes, bringing his hands from where they'd been folded casually behind his head to rest on Jeremy's back. One of his hands roamed lower and tugged Jeremy's thigh up so that there faces were dangerously close, causing Jeremy to let out a noise that was something like a squeak. Michael kissed him quick on the lips before he smirked victoriously as Jeremy hid his face again. He let his head rest on Michael's chest and he heard his heartbeat, the feeling suddenly sobering him. That steady thrumming was a reminder that Michael was real. Michael was his. Michael hummed in contentment and messed idly with fabric on the back of Jeremy's t-shirt.

Jeremy thought he might’ve been happy before, but nothing,  _ nothing _ would ever reach the high he was on right now.

That's when he began drifting off. He opened his eyes to stare at Michael again, and for a while he did, trying to catch all his little mannerisms and details. Soon, however, his eyelids grew heavy. How was he supposed to stay awake when he was this fucking comfortable? He never wanted to sleep anywhere else again. It was overwhelming how Michael's heartbeat under his cheek just felt so  _ right. _

He was halfway asleep, his mind hazy with the intoxicating presence of Michael, when the words came to his head, gentle and soft. Sappy and stupid and adorable.

**_Jeremy Heere, you're a fucking masterpiece._ **

Jeremy didn't open his eyes, he didn't have to. But his breath caught in his throat. Michael's heart was beating harder and he could feel it too.

_ And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. _

He felt Michael tense a little under him. It occurred to him that his soulmate hadn't realized he was awake. Michael exhaled shakily and smiled just a little, pulling Jeremy up and wrapping his arms around him, burying his face in the mess of dark hair he'd been playing with all evening. "Night, J." He muttered into the curls, his voice muffled. Jeremy giggled quietly. This was real. He was falling asleep in the arms of his soulmate. His awkward, sweet, reckless, stupid, perfect soulmate. 

"Go to bed, dipshit.”

  
  



End file.
